Electrically Conductive PEDOT Coating with Self-Healing Superhydrophobicity

A self-healing electrically conductive superhydrophobic poly­(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT) coating has been prepared by chemical vapor deposition of a fluoroalkylsilane (POTS) onto a PEDOT film, which was obtained by electrochemical deposition. The coating not only maintained high conductivity with a low resistivity of 3.2 × 10^–4 Ω·m, but also displayed a water contact angle larger than 156° and a sliding angle smaller than 10°. After being etched with O₂ plasma, the coating showed an excellent self-healing ability, spontaneously regaining its superhydrophobicity when left under ambient conditions for 20 h. This superhydrophobicity recovery process was found to be humidity-dependent, and could be accelerated and completed within 2 h under a high humidity of 84%. The coating also exhibited good superhydrophobicity recovering ability after being corroded by strong acid solution at pH 1 or strong base solution at pH 14 for 3 h

Electro-Responsively Reversible Transition of Polythiophene Films from Superhydrophobicity to Superhydrophilicity

An electro-responsively reversible switching of wettability between superhydrophobicity and superhydrophilicity has been obtained from a highly porous structured polythiophene film. The polythiophene film was prepared by two-step electrochemical deposition on an indium tin oxide (ITO) substrate. The underlying poly­(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT) provides a highly porous structured conductive support, and poly­(3-methylthiophene) (P­(3-MTH)) deposited thereon plays the role of a low-surface-energy conductive coating. The wettability switching of this double-layer film between superhydrophobicity and superhydrophilicity has been investigated by doping and dedoping in an electrolyte solution containing ClO₄^–. Electrochromism of the film was also seen to accompany the electrochemical process of conversion between the two superwetting states. On the basis of this porous electro-active film, an in situ electro-wetting device was also demonstrated

Anisotropic Fluorescence Emission of Ionic Complex Induced by the Orientation of Azobenzene Unit

A series of azobenzene-containing fluorescent complexes with stilbene fluorescent unit were prepared based on the ionic self-assembly approach. The incorporation of the stilbene unit did not change the lamellar structure of the azobenzene-containing complex. Under pulsed laser irradiation, the azobenzene group oriented in the direction perpendicular to the laser polarization, and as a result, the fluorescent stilbene unit was cooperatively oriented following the direction of azobenzene group orientation. This oriented complex films presented anisotropic emission of fluorescence, and the anisotropic ratio of fluorescence increases with the increase of the content of azobenzene unit in the complex

Formation of Helical Phases in Achiral Block Copolymers by Simple Addition of Small Chiral Additives

Helical superstructures were induced in poly­(ethylene oxide)-<i>b</i>-poly­(<i>tert</i>-butyl acrylate) (PEO-<i>b</i>-PtBA) achiral diblock copolymers (BCPs) through the simple addition of pure enantiomers of tartaric acid. Hydrogen bond interactions between tartaric acid and poly­(ethylene oxide) (PEO) block not only enhance the phase segregation strength of the PEO-based block copolymer but also transfer the chiral information from the additive into the achiral backbone to induce the conformational chirality. The helical phase was formed after thermal annealing with a pitch of ∼25 nm and confirmed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and TEM tomography. The handedness of helices can be easily selected by choice of the corresponding enantioisomer of tartaric acid

Dual-Responsive Ionically Assembled Fluorescent Nanoparticles from Copoly(Ionic Liquid) for Temperature Sensor

A simple copolymer, copoly­(ionic liquid), consisting of <i>N</i>-isopropylacrylamide (NIPAM) and 1-benzyl-4-vinylpyridine bromide (4-VPBn⁺Br^–) units as thermo-responsive and ionic liquid parts, respectively, has been synthesized. Fluorescent nanoparticles (FNPs) were then formed under the driving forces of electrostatic interaction between 2-(4-amino-2-hydroxyphenyl) benzothiazole derivative (AHBTA) and copoly­(ionic liquid) due to hydrophilic/hydrophobic balance. The fluorescent intensity of the FNPs enhanced by a factor of about 50 times when the pH was increased from 7 to 10, and was effectively doubled within 1 °C around LCST in pH 9 buffer solution, thus showing a dramatic pH and thermal dual-dependent property. The FNPs exhibited reversible fluorescence enhancement/quenching over more than five cycles, regardless of the heating/cooling process. Furthermore, the FNPS proved to be much more stable to UV light irradiation than pure fluorescence molecule AHBTA

Chiral Arrangements of Au Nanoparticles with Prescribed Handedness Templated by Helical Pores in Block Copolymer Films

Fabrication of films with plasmonic nanoparticles (NPs) arrays arranged in chiral configurations of prescribed handedness is highly attractive for the design of new functional materials; however, this remains a formidable challenge in nanotechnology. In this study, we demonstrated the controlled arrangements of gold (Au) NPs into helical structures templated by helical pores created in cross-linked block copolymer (BCP) films. d- and l-tartaric acid (TA) were used to direct the self-assembly of achiral poly­(1,4-butadiene)-<i>b</i>-poly­(ethylene oxide) BCPs into helical cylindrical morphologies with prescribed handedness, i.e., D or L. Helical pores were generated by BCP cross-linking followed by TA extraction. Helical Au NP arrays, subsequently arranged within the helical pores, exhibited the chiral optical response. The helical structures of NPs arrays and the resulting optical handedness were tunable simply by using either D- or L-porous templates. This simple strategy offers a straightforward pathway for the fabrication of chiral porous BCP films and helical NPs arrays with chiral optical properties

Dual-Responsive Controlled Drug Delivery Based on Ionically Assembled Nanoparticles

Ionically assembled nanoparticles (INPs) have been formed from poly­(ionic liquid-<i>co</i>-<i>N</i>-isopropylacrylamide) with deoxycholic acid through electrostatic interaction. The structure and properties of the INPs were investigated by using ¹H NMR, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), dynamic light scattering (DLS), and so on. Due to pH-responsive deoxycholic acid (p<i>K</i>_a = 6.2) and thermo responsive <i>N</i>-isopropylacrylamide included in the ionic complex, the INPs exhibit highly pH and thermal dual-responsive properties. The potential practical applications as drug delivery carriers were demonstrated using doxorubicin (DOX) as a model drug. With a lower pH (pH 5.2) and higher temperature (above 37 °C), structural collapse of the INPs occurred as well as release of DOX owing to protonated DA departure from the INPs and a lower LCST (lower critical solution temperature) at the pathological conditions. The result shows that 80% of DOX molecules were released from INPs within 48 h at pH 5.2, 43 °C, but only 30% of the drug was released within 48 h at 37 °C and pH 7.4. Moreover, drug-loaded INPs exhibit an inhibitory effect on cell growth

THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE TECHNOLOGICAL BASES FOR OBTAINING AND PROCESSING OF THE BASE THERMOPLASTIC BUTADIEN-NITRIL ELASTOMERS

The object of investigation: the butadien-nitril rubber, polyvinylchloride, polystirol, polycarbonate, ABC-plastics, polyamide, acetylcellulose, polypropylene. The theoretical justification has been given, the mathematical model of the quality of the base materials, the mathematical model of optimization of the modified thermoplastic elastomers recipe have been developed, the influence of the fillers and plastificators of the different nature on the consumers properties of the base materials has been developed, the method of prognosing of the materials technological properties has been developed. Offered has been the method of the &quot;dynamic&quot; vulcanization, with the aid of which the base materials have been received, and it allows to reduce the time of the vulcanization by 5 times and to reduce the electric power consumption. The recipes of the cast compositions, posessing the improved values of the operating and consumer properties, the modes and the parameters of the processing of the base materials, the multiple use of the obtained alloys have been offered. The base polymer materials of the new type for casting under pressure have been introduced in practiceAvailable from VNTIC / VNTIC - Scientific & Technical Information Centre of RussiaSIGLERURussian Federatio

Targeting the chromatin effector Pygo2 promotes cytotoxic T cell responses and overcomes immunotherapyresistance in prostate cancer.

The noninflamed microenvironment in prostate cancer represents a barrier to immunotherapy. Genetic alterations underlying cancer cell-intrinsic oncogenic signaling are increasingly appreciated for their role in shaping the immune landscape. Recently, we identified Pygopus 2 (PYGO2) as the driver oncogene for the amplicon at 1q21.3 in prostate cancer. Here, using transgenic mouse models of metastatic prostate adenocarcinoma, we found that Pygo2 deletion decelerated tumor progression, diminished metastases, and extended survival. Pygo2 loss augmented the activation and infiltration of cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) and sensitized tumor cells to T cell killing. Mechanistically, Pygo2 orchestrated a p53/Sp1/Kit/Ido1 signaling network to foster a microenvironment hostile to CTLs. Genetic or pharmacological inhibition of Pygo2 enhanced the antitumor efficacy of immunotherapies using immune checkpoint blockade (ICB), adoptive cell transfer, or agents inhibiting myeloid-derived suppressor cells. In human prostate cancer samples, Pygo2 expression was inversely correlated with the infiltration of CD8+ T cells. Analysis of the ICB clinical data showed association between high PYGO2 level and worse outcome. Together, our results highlight a potential path to improve immunotherapy using Pygo2-targeted therapy for advanced prostate cancer.</p

Neutrophils resist ferroptosis and promote breast cancer metastasis through aconitate decarboxylase 1

Metastasis causes breast cancer-related mortality. Tumor-infiltrating neutrophils (TINs) inflict immunosuppression and promote metastasis. Therapeutic debilitation of TINs may enhance immunotherapy, yet it remains a challenge to identify therapeutic targets highly expressed and functionally essential in TINs but under-expressed in extra-tumoral neutrophils. Here, using single-cell RNA sequencing to compare TINs and circulating neutrophils in murine mammary tumor models, we identified aconitate decarboxylase 1 (Acod1) as the most upregulated metabolic enzyme in mouse TINs and validated high Acod1 expression in human TINs. Activated through the GM-CSF-JAK/STAT5-C/EBPβ pathway, Acod1 produces itaconate, which mediates Nrf2-dependent defense against ferroptosis and upholds the persistence of TINs. Acod1 ablation abates TIN infiltration, constrains metastasis (but not primary tumors), bolsters antitumor T cell immunity, and boosts the efficacy of immune checkpoint blockade. Our findings reveal how TINs escape from ferroptosis through the Acod1-dependent immunometabolism switch and establish Acod1 as a target to offset immunosuppression and improve immunotherapy against metastasis.</p